A New Counselee Assessment/Occupational Exploration System and Its Interest and Aptitude Dimensions.

Employment and Training Administration (DOL), Washington, DC.

A new counselee assessment/occupational exploration system provides for assessing a counselee's occupational qualifications in relation to an interest- and aptitude-oriented occupational structure and then encouraging occupational exploration in those areas which show the greatest promise of meeting the counselee's interests, values, and aptitudes. Eight components, all developed by the U.S. Employment Service, comprise the system. These are a guide for occupational exploration, a dictionary of occupational titles, a general aptitude test battery, an interest checklist, an interest inventory, two jobs selection workbooks, and other counselor- and counselee-oriented occupational planning materials currently under development. The system possesses two dimensions--an interest dimension and an aptitude dimension. Interest factors identified from a factor analysis of interest inventory items were used as the common basis for developing an occupational structure consisting of 12 interest areas. An assessment tool for measuring interest in these areas was devised. Occupational analysts then subdivided occupations allocated into the broad interest groups into work groups, based on the capabilities and adaptabilities required of the worker. This permitted the establishment of occupational aptitude pattern norms to determine a counselee's aptitude for occupations in all but seven areas. (MN)